John beaton



(NoMdl. J. HEATON & G; H. HOLDEN.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING STEEL 0R IRON- No. 501,140. Patented Julyll, 1893.

- \\\\\iIIII///[ NTTED STATES PATENT Enron.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING STEEL OR IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 501,140, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed March 1, 1892. Serial No. 423,425. (No model.) Patented in England May 7, 1890, No. 7,070 in France March 1, 1891, No. 94,019, in Belgium March 5, 1891,110. 211,904; in Germany March 5, 1891 No. 10,873; in Lnxemburg March 6, 1891, No. 1,416, and in Canada September 14, 1891, No. 34,941.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN I-IEATON and GEORGE HENRY HOLDEN, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster,

England, have invented Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Steel or Iron, (said invention having been patented in the following foreign countries: Great Britain, No.

IO 7,070, dated May 7, 1890; France, No. 94,019, dated, March 1, 1891; Belgium, No. 211,904, dated March 5, 1891; Germany, No. 10,873, dated March 5, 1891; Canada, No. 34,941, dated September 14, 1891, and Luxemburg No. 1,416, dated March 6, 1891,) of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of steel or iron by the Heaton process, steel or iron is, as is well known, made by running molten cast or pig iron into a converter in the bottom of which and below a perforated iron plate is a charge of oxidizing material such as nitrate or chlorate of soda or potash.

Now this invention has for its object to dis pense with the perforated plate heretofore employed in carrying out the Heaton process, and to prevent the nitrate or chlorate of soda or potash, or mixture thereof with inert material being displaced from the bottom of the converter by the molten metal when the same is poured thereon. For this purpose the oxidizing material, Viz. nitrate 0r chlorate of soda or potash (hereinafter referred to for the sake of brevity as nitrate of soda), preferably mixed with some substance or substances such as carbonate of sodium or chloride of sodium to serve as a diluent or diluents. and having no injurious effect upon the steel or iron produced, is formed into circular or other suitably shaped blocks or segments so constructed that they can be readily secured in the lower removable portion of the converter by means of wedges or other convenient means, so that when molten metal is poured thereon, they will not be displaced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and plan of one form of segmental block of a mixture of nitrate of soda and-an inert substance such as referred to, according to this inven-' tion; and Figs. 3 and4 are similar views of a block of similar material having a truncated conical form. Fig. 5 is a plan of the lower part of a converter in which a number of segmental blocks like that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are secured. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 00 at Fig. 6, showing a slightly modified construction.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the block 1 which in plan is shown as having the form of aquadrant of acircle, is made by pressure in a suitable mold and is formed on each of two of its flat sides with a vertical groove. These grooves 2 are so formed and arranged that when a number of the blocks are placed in the recessed lower removable bottom 3 (Fig. 5) of the Heaton converter used in carrying out the Heaton process, the grooves in the adjacent faces of the blocks will register with each other as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the blocks can then be securely fixed in the bottom 3 by means of wedges or keys 4 driven into corresponding pairs of grooves. The wedges or keys 4 may be locked in place by cross bars 5 arranged to bear upon the Wedges, andthe ends of which are held between the lining 3 of the converter bottom and ears or lugs 6 carried by said bottom as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Or instead of forming the charge of nitrate of soda and inert substance into a number of blocks, it may be formed into a single lolock as shown in Figs 3 and 4, the external form of which is such as to approximately fit the lower part of the converter in which it is fixed by suitable means such as wedges before the said lower part of the converter is secured in place to and below the upper part of the converter preparatory to the converting operation.

What we claim is 1. For the manufacture of steel or iron by the Heaton process, a converter having a removable recessed lower portion, a block of compressed oxidizing material arranged therein, and Wedges for fixing said block in said lower portion, substantially as herein described.

2. For the man ufactnre of steel and iron by the Heaton process, a converter having a re= 10c movable recessed lower portion, blocks of oxidizing material formed with vertical grooves and arranged. within said lower portion so that a groove in one block will register with a groove in another block, and keys inserted in corresponding grooves and between said blocks substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. For the manufacture of steel and iron by the Heaton process, a converter having a regrooves in other blocks, keys inserted in cor- 15 responding grooves, and bars arranged to bear on said keys and having their ends retained bylugs or cars on said lower portion substantially as described for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 20 names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN I-IEATON, GEORGE HENRY HOLDEN.

Witnesses:

SAM ARNOLD, J NO. MnADoWoRoFr, Both of 41 Corporation St, llfanchestcr. 

